“It was a great opportunity for me to work with guys with different perspectives on basketball,” he said. “Just sitting up in my room late at night, talking basketball with them, watching videos, that sort of thing . . . it was great for my development as a coach.”

The coach that led the Halifax team to a 36-19 record says it’s the summertime where he can take a step back and perfect his craft.

“Development for me is important because when you're in season, it’s hard to get that because you're so focused on your thing — winning games and stuff,” he said. “But here you get to really have an open mind.”

Leslie’s Canada Star team ended the Las Vegas combine with a record of three wins and three losses, but he said it wasn’t just about winning in the Global Basketball Summer League.

“I think more than anything else, it was good to just look at what the talent is out there that’s available that might want to come out and play for (the Halifax Hurricanes),” he said. “It’s a great networking opportunity to expose the Maritimes and Halifax to some young guys and their agents who may not be familiar with our league . . . that’s the best part of it.”

It was Leslie’s first time visiting Las Vegas, and his first time participating in the summer league.

“Some of the players here have no idea about the (NBL Canada) league,” he said. “I had one guy come to me and said he went online and checked out our team and the roster, and recognized a lot of the players’ names and the universities they went to . . . It’s a bit of an eye opener for them.”

Although most players who competed in the summer league want to play overseas in Europe, Leslie thought it was a good opportunity to educate players on the professional league just north of the border.

“It’s just two hours away, by flight from New York,” said Leslie. “It’s somewhere that you could play that family members and friends could make a trip up to watch.”

And he said, this experience is not only about educating players on the Canadian league, but also about recruiting players to his team.

“There are some players here who would be similar to the talent level that we have in our league,” he said. “There’s a couple players that, if I came out and was able to sign one of them, I’d be really happy.”

Although there won’t be many spots open on the roster for next season, Leslie is confident in his participation and involvement in the Global Basketball Summer League in Las Vegas this summer.

“It was a really positive experience,” said Leslie. “It’s hot here, and all I’ve seen is a hotel room, a fast food joint and a gym, but that’s what the trip is. It’s all about watching basketball, and I love being in a gym watching hoops.”